


fair hero

by marvelthismarvelthat



Series: the light that guides you home [1]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Kid Fic, Team as Family, canon compliant through the end of s3, deals with lincoln's death, mama may
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-18 16:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19338568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvelthismarvelthat/pseuds/marvelthismarvelthat
Summary: Seven months after Daisy runs away from SHIELD, May finally catches up to her only to realize she’s in in desperate need of help and that she's not alone.-“Finally decided to stop running?” May’s voice was steady and familiar, and suddenly Daisy found that she could barely even remember her reasons for leaving the people she loved so dearly.“No.” Daisy straightened her shoulders, gathering some resolve before turning to face her. “I wasn’t given much of a choice on the whole stopping thing.”May’s eyes widened almost comically as she took her in, her gaze sliding down to the bump Daisy was shielding protectively with her hands.





	fair hero

**Author's Note:**

  * For [agentmmayy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentmmayy/gifts).



> woweeee two fics within the span of a MONTH?! jot this date down and hold on to your pants, folks, because it will never happen again.

Daisy never really doubted that SHIELD would find her eventually. She’d just never expected them to find her so fast and she definitely had not expected them to chase her down while she was minding her own damn business. All she’d wanted that morning was to buy some fresh local produce from the quaint little farmer’s market near the place she was staying, but then they'd showed up and ruined any chance she had on getting her hands on some zucchini. 

She’d settled into a small town not far from Portland, Oregon about two weeks earlier, her body and mind too tired to continue keeping up with her vigilante work. She didn’t know how they’d found her, but they had and she wasn’t about to come quietly.  So the second she spotted them she’d run off as fast as she could without even stopping to think about the familiar face that was hot on her heels.

As far as foot chases went, this proved to be one of the simplest and most uneventful ones she’d experienced since leaving SHIELD and becoming a vigilante--she’d shaken most of the agents off her tail within a few alleys. But then again, these days she found herself being chased on the regular. Or at least enough that she’d become pretty good at finding her way out of some very tight spots with relative ease, even in her current condition.

She’d nearly lost the last agent pursuing her when pain tore through her abdomen, making stumble and fall to her knees.

Of course she'd go into labor while May was chasing her down.

Luck had never been on her side, after all.

Daisy didn’t even think that SHIELD was aware that she was pregnant. It hadn’t been hard to hide it with how small she’d remained through most of it. She’d only begun to look pregnant during her third trimester, and even then the combination of the smaller than average bump, staying fit and wearing the right outfits had made it easy for her to fool strangers on the street into thinking she’d just had a big lunch.

Between her baby bump hiding skills and her handy spy training, she was almost entirely sure that any glimpse SHIELD had gotten of her through surveillance would’ve been too obscured for them to be able to discern that she had a bun in the oven.

It was better that way, she thought. Hiding it from everyone, especially intelligence agencies, was safer for the baby in the long run.

But there would be no hiding it when she came face to face with May. At just over thirty-six weeks pregnant, she might be able to conceal it from strangers and surveillance, but from people that had known her as well as her former SO did? Not a chance.

At least May was someone she could trust with her child’s life. She just hoped May didn’t have a heart attack when she saw her. As unflappable as May was, she was sure this would come as a pretty big shock and she was going to need her to stay alive. If she went to jail, she was going to need her to take this baby far, far away from SHIELD.

Daisy took a deep breath. The pain receded as quickly as it had come, and so she stood, groaning as she felt the telltale sign of her water breaking trickling down her legs.

It couldn’t have been long from the moment the pain left her to the moment she heard May’s footfalls entering the narrow alley. From how long it’d taken her to get there, Daisy was sure May had been giving her time to get away. Too bad she hadn’t been able to.

“Finally decided to stop running?” May’s voice was steady and familiar, and suddenly Daisy found that she could barely even remember her reasons for leaving behind the people she loved so dearly.

“No.” Daisy straightened her shoulders, gathering some resolve before turning to face her SO. “I wasn’t given much of a choice on the whole stopping thing.”

May’s eyes widened almost comically as she took her in, her gaze sliding down to the bump Daisy was shielding protectively with her hands. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

Daisy fought back a small smile, May’s expression momentarily distracting her from the situation she was currently in right up until the baby gave a defiant kick against her ribs. “Um, May? I-- I know I’m in no position to ask for help, but my water just broke and I kinda need it.”

May blinked away her shock, her expression softening into one of genuine concern. “What?”

“I’m in-“ Another contraction gripped her abdomen, cutting her off and making her double over with a groan.

Two hard contractions in and labor already sucked harder than most sucky things in life. It would only get worse before it got better. To think she’d thought the Braxton Hicks she’d been experiencing for a few weeks had been bad. She was an idiot.

As the pain abated, Daisy became aware of a strong pair of arms around her, carefully supporting her so she wouldn’t fall to her knees. She wasn’t expecting the wave of grief that suddenly hit her at the contact, making her sag against May.

Why did they still care about her?

“Dammit, Daisy. How far along are you? How close are the contractions? Why wouldn’t you come to us?” Panic was rising in May’s throat. SHIELD agents would find them soon if they didn’t move and there was no way May was taking Daisy back to base now, not until she knew for certain that Coulson, or Hill, or  _ somebody _ had cleared her name.

She wasn’t about to be responsible for Daisy being separated from her kid.

“I don’t deserve your help with this, not with everything that happened because of me. That’s why I didn’t go to you.” Daisy took a shaky breath, unsteadily moving away from May and running a hand over her stomach.

She might not want the help, or think she deserved it, but desperate times called for desperate measures and she’d  _ really  _ rather not give birth in a containment module surrounded by SHIELD agents. May was now her only chance at making sure her baby would be safe. “I’m thirty-six weeks. I don’t know how far apart they are. I had one just before you came into the alley and then another now. I’d been having milder ones earlier but I thought they were those fake preparation contractions, Braxton Hicks or whatever, then they just blew up while I was running. Of course I’m the dumbass that is in labor all fucking day and doesn’t realize it.”

May bit back her annoyance and reached to gently take hold of Daisy’s arm. “We need to get you to a hospital, right now. And we need to hurry before the other agents find us.”

“Wait, hospital? You’re not taking me in?” Daisy was surprised. While she’d been certain May would make sure her kid was okay once SHIELD locked her away, she hadn’t thought she would help her escape SHIELD.

“No. Now can you walk?”

Daisy watched disbelievingly as May discarded her comms and phone. “Yeah. I’m in labor, not shot in the leg.”

“Good, then let’s get you to the hospital.”

“No, no hospital. The midwife is a few blocks over.”

Her only reply was a raised eyebrow and an unamused expression.

“Well, I can’t risk going to a hospital!” Daisy shifted uncomfortably as her abdomen twinged. “What if my powers get out of control during labor? This lady has worked with pregnant Inhumans before. Even has similar technology to the containment modules in the walls of the birthing rooms.”

“Fine. Now move. Where do we go?”

Daisy absentmindedly rattled off directions as May tugged on her arm, forcing her to move quickly down the alley and away from the area the other SHIELD agents had been searching.

May knew she’d be in a world of trouble for this, but she didn’t care.

She had to keep Daisy safe.

-

“Daisy, please sit down.” May said, warily watching as Daisy paced the small birthing room, rubbing a hand over her swollen stomach.

The short walk to the maternity home through the crowded streets of the small town had been relatively easy, as had been checking in and getting a room once there. The seven hours since then, on the other hand, had been frustrating. The nervous tension in the room was climbing as Daisy’s labor progressed at what felt like an achingly slow pace, and every attempt May had made to reach out to Daisy had been met with an angry rebuff from her.

“No.”

“Daisy-“

“I said no, May. I can’t si-“ Daisy cut off with a gasp, steadying herself with the back of the couch as her knees buckled and breathing heavily through the contraction.

May sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall as she stood from her chair, quickly crossing the room so she could run a comforting hand over Daisy’s back. “Three and a half minutes, again.”

Daisy groaned in response, unsteadily straightening and resuming her pacing. The contractions had been dawdling between three and four minutes for nearly four hours and she was beginning to feel frustrated at her own body.

“Are you sure you don’t want to sit?” May was beginning to feel concerned. Despite having a couch, a bed, a birthing tub and two comfortable chairs at her disposal Daisy had been on her feet and pacing for most of the time they’d been there and, while the midwife had assured May that laboring women often felt the urge to pace, she knew the kid must be feeling exhausted by now.

Her concern must’ve shown on her face because when Daisy opened her mouth to retort, her expression softened and instead she slowly shook her head. “I just need to waddle around right now. It’s weird, I don’t know why, but sitting doesn’t feel like it’s the right thing to do.”

“Okay.” May moved slowly back to her chair, silently watching as Daisy uncomfortably paced the length of the room.  “Are you sure you don’t want an epidural?”

Daisy’s only acknowledgement was a low growl. May didn’t know why she’d even asked, every time Daisy had been asked if she wanted an epidural, her answer had been a resounding no.

A short silence lapsed as May’s eyes lingered on Daisy. This was a different Daisy than the one she’d come to love and she felt completely out of her depth on how to help her through this. She could practically feel the waves of anger, sadness, and resentment rolling off her

She supposed it made sense, the last time she’d seen Daisy… she’d been a mess. More of a mess than she was now. Between going through withdrawal from Hive and the guilt of losing Lincoln, Daisy had struggled a lot. She’d barely made it out of bed on a good day. She hadn’t even been able to hold a meal down most of the time. Thinking back to how much weight Daisy lost and how frail she’d looked in the weeks before she’d run worried May. Had Daisy been pregnant then? She had to have been.

But still, she needed to ask. “Is it his?”

Daisy froze with her back turned to May, her shoulders immediately becoming rigid. “What?”

“The baby.” May swallowed. “Is it Lincoln’s?”

“Yes.” Daisy’s voice shook as she turned to face her mentor with a hurt look, both hands coming to brace her bump. “Of course it is. I- I loved him. How could you even think the baby’s not- God, May.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-“ May held Daisy’s gaze and gritted her teeth, trying to keep the sorrow that came with this confirmation at bay. “Daisy, I just-“

“Don’t.” Daisy pleaded.

May frowned, unsure of what Daisy was getting at.

“Don’t look at me like that. With pity. With that look that screams, ‘poor Daisy, after all she’s gone through, she’s also having her dead boyfriend’s baby.’ I can’t handle that. Not now. Not today, when all I want is for Lincoln to be the one here with me, holding my hand and comforting me, reminding me that once the baby’s here these past eight months will have been worth it.” Daisy paused, covering her mouth as a sob broke free. “Not when I’m so afraid that by bringing this baby into this world, I’m sentencing it to a lifetime of emptiness because of its damn biology.”

“I don’t even know what-“ She inhaled sharply, “what me being possessed by Hive so early in my pregnancy did to my child.” Daisy’s throat constricted with fear at the mere thought, making her resume her pacing. “But I couldn’t- I couldn’t have an abortion. This baby is all I have left of him. And maybe that’s selfish of me, and maybe it makes me a terrible mother but- I just- I couldn’t bear the thought of losing anyone else.”

“Daisy.” May reached a hand out towards Daisy as the girl walked past, only to have her angrily yank her arm out of May’s reach.

“Don’t touch me,” Daisy’s voice cracked as she said the words. “If you touch me, I won’t be able to hold myself together and I don’t want to break. Not today.”

May leant back in her seat, attempting to stave off the tears that were pricking at her eyes and quietly mulling over Daisy’s words as she watched her resume pacing. She was at a complete loss on how to help her, but she had to try. “It doesn’t make you selfish.”

Daisy turned to look at her, her brow furrowing in confusion. “What do you me-“ She cut off with another groan, holding on to the railing that ran along the walls of the room as she doubled over with the contraction.

May held herself in place, ignoring the instinct to reach out to her as she remembered how Daisy’s earlier reaction to her touch. The last thing Daisy needed was for May to add to her distress by touching her when she clearly didn’t want to be touched. So she settled for silently verifying the time that had passed between contractions before returning her gaze to Daisy.

By the time Daisy finally straightened, letting out a breath of relief, it almost felt like a lifetime had passed.

“That was a long one.” May said flatly, searching Daisy’s body language for any signs that she needed to sit, but Daisy stood as steady as ever, or as steady as her bump allowed her to.

Daisy let out a dry chuckle, shuffling her feet in discomfort, the anger seemingly leaving her for a moment. “Well, Addison did say they’d get longer and more intense the closer I got. So I’m taking it as a good sign.” Her eyes found the floor and she bit her bottom lip. “Did you mean it? You really think I’m not being selfish?”

May took a breath, briefly unsure of what to say. “Yes. Wanting to keep your baby despite the uncertainty? Wanting to keep it because it’s all you have left of him and because you couldn’t lose anyone else? It doesn’t make you selfish, it makes you human. The same way  having an abortion would’ve made you human. There was no right or wrong answer for your situation—there never is when it comes to having a child.” She paused, feeling a pang in her chest as a tear slipped out of Daisy’s eye and made its way down her cheek. “And I know you, Daisy. There’s no way you made this decision without agonizing over it and going over every possible scenario.”

Daisy’s heart felt like it was going to crack in two. God, how she’d missed May.

“For what it’s worth,” May smiled, feeling pride wash over her as she thought of how much Daisy had grown over the past few years. “You being so worried and so torn up over your child’s future before you’ve even laid eyes on it tells me you’re going to be the best mother in the world. Not that there was any doubt in my mind about that.”

Daisy sobbed out a laugh, hastily wiping away the tears that had escaped as May spoke. It was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “I think you just said more words in one sitting than I’ve heard you say in the four years we’ve known each other.” She paused, watching May carefully. “I’ve missed you a lot, you know? It’s been so-“

Daisy cut off with a sharp gasp, bracing her abdomen with both hands and lowering herself to the ground. “Ow ow ow. Fuck. I- May, I need to push. Now. Ow.” A sob broke free from her throat and she reached out one hand in May’s direction, suddenly desperate for her comfort.

It was the only sign May needed. In the blink of an eye she was out of her seat and kneeling next to Daisy, holding her as close as she could and rocking her gently in an attempt to soothe her.  “Addison! I think she’s ready!”

Within a few seconds, the door opened, revealing the smiling midwife. “Alright! Are we ready to meet this baby?”

Daisy only managed a whimper in reply as she burrowed her face into May’s shoulder, her body shaking with the intensity of the contraction.

“Remember to breathe, Daisy.” Addison said, kneeling beside Daisy and busying herself with checking her pulse. “Holding your breath will only deplete your energy.”

“Easy for you to say.” Daisy growled through clenched teeth, her hold on May’s shirt tightening as she released a long breath. “I really, really need to push.”

Addison shook her head, soothingly rubbing Daisy’s shoulder and giving her a reassuring smile. “Nope, let’s hold that urge until your next contraction. We need move you somewhere more comfortable before we get this show on the road.”

Daisy made a distressed noise and closed her eyes, attempting to steady her breathing as the pain came to an end and her body finally relaxed. The length and intensity to that contraction had terror building in her throat. It suddenly seemed so real, more real than it had seemed the past few months. Her baby was coming and it wouldn’t be long until she would be holding it in her arms. The prospect of it was somehow scarier than anything she’d ever experienced.

“Why don’t we get you to the birthing tub before the next one hits? You’ll be more comfortable there. Melinda, would you help-“

“No.” Daisy shook her head, curling further into May before she got a chance to move away. She didn’t want to go anywhere, she wanted to stay where she was. “No tub.”

Addison frowned, cocking her head to the side as she studied Daisy’s body language. “It’s up to you, but I really wouldn’t recommend giving birth on the floor.”

“I want to stay here.”

May pressed her nose into Daisy’s hair and sighed, stroking her thumb across her cheek. “Daisy, are you sure?”

“I’m not moving.”

“Floor it is then.” Addison said, making sure to smile reassuringly at Daisy as she pulled on a glove. “I do need to check your dilation before the next contraction though. You know the drill.”

Daisy wrinkled her nose in distaste at the prospect, but let Addison adjust her legs without complaint, only shifting slightly in discomfort as the midwife checked her dilation.

“Alright, you’re definitely ready to get this baby out! Next contraction just follow your instincts and bear down. Your mom and I will be here every step of the way.”

May froze briefly, the midwife’s words making her heart seize. She wasn’t Daisy’s mother, but right now she had nobody except for her so she wasn’t about to correct the midwife. Instead she tightened her arms around Daisy, holding her as snugly as she could and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Daisy simply pressed her nose against May’s clavicle, sighing shakily. She knew May would keep her promise- she didn’t make promises unless she was sure she wouldn’t unintentionally break them- but the pressure building in her pelvis was a reminder of what was to come. Of how alone she felt despite May’s promise.

She didn’t get much of a chance to ponder on that loneliness before another contraction gripped at her abdomen, making her lose any coherent thought she had.

“Okay, Daisy, bear down and push! You’ve got this, just follow your instincts.” Addison said, putting a steadying hand on Daisy’s knee.  

Daisy didn’t need to be told twice. The second the words left Addison’s mouth, she was clutching May’s shirt to ground herself, gritting her teeth and giving in to the overwhelming urge to push.

The next hour was spent in a vicious cycle- Daisy would get hit by a contraction, she’d push,  the room would shake as she lost her tenuous grip on her powers, May and Addison would mutter words of encouragement, then the contraction would cease after what seemed like forever, leaving her to a few blissful minutes of rest.

Labor sucked. Big time.

Even as Daisy did everything her body told her to, she still felt like she was being slowly torn apart and it was only getting worse the closer she got to the end.

She just wanted it to stop. She didn’t have the energy nor the will to keep going.

Any fight she had left was gone.  

“You’re almost there, Daisy. You’re doing great, alright? You’ll get to meet your baby soon.”

Daisy didn’t respond. Addison’s words felt meaningless and she could barely hear her voice over the blood rushing in her ears as she struggled to catch her breath.

Daisy’s lack of response worried May. She could feel the Daisy’s energy beginning to wane rapidly, how the angry stubbornness she’d had an hour before had evaporated into a sense of defeat. But Daisy couldn’t give up, not now. Her child needed her.

“Daisy?” May put two fingers under Daisy’s chin, bringing the girl’s eyes up to meet hers. “I know you’re tired but you’ve got to finish this, alright? Your baby needs you to finish this, it needs you to fight.”

Daisy’s bottom lip trembled and a sob escaped her, the fear that had been simmering just beneath the surface breaking through the exhaustion. “I can’t do this, May.” She gripped the front of May’s shirt tighter, her breath hitching. “What was I  _ thinking _ ? How can I raise this baby on my own? How can I raise Lincoln’s baby when I got him  _ killed _ ?” Another sob broke free as she ducked her head. “He’s never going to meet his child because of  _ me.   _ After all I’ve done—“ Daisy gasped, trying desperately to bring some air into her lungs. “I can’t be a mother. I ruin  _ everything  _ I touch.”

“Daisy! Stop.” May pulled away and grasped Daisy’s face between her hands. “Listen to me. You did not get Lincoln killed. You do  _ not _ ruin everything you touch.” She swallowed, trying to find the right thing to say. “I can’t imagine how terrifying this must be for you. But you need to finish what you started, Daisy. You  _ have _ to.” Taking a shaky breath, she closed her eyes briefly, thinking back to Daisy’s early training. “All that pain you’re feeling right now. All that hurt. Channel it. Use it on  _ your _ terms. Just like we used to do in training. You can do this, Daisy. I believe in you.”

Daisy whimpered, tears falling down her cheeks as she met May’s eyes. “I’m scared.”

“I know.” May wrapped her arms around Daisy, bringing the trembling girl into her embrace again as she attempted to hold back the tears stinging at the back of her eyes. “And it’s okay that you’re scared. But you can’t give up. Not now.”

Daisy took a few calming breaths and nodded as her tears continued to dampen the front of May’s shirt. She knew needed to finish this, for her baby, for herself.

It was mere seconds before a contraction wrapped around her, making her groan as it painfully seized her abdomen and back. She could  _ feel _ how close she was, yet in her exhaustion it all just seemed impossible, like the pain would never end.

But May’s quiet whisper of, “Come on, Daisy. You can do this,” served as the encouragement she needed.

When she pushed this time, her brain lost all kind of coherent thought and the room shook harder than it had before, a few lightbulbs exploding with the force of it.

Part of her was grateful that the pain in that moment didn’t leave room for her to think of much else, making any feelings of self doubt fade into the background—all she could focus on was how her insides burned and ached, how the pain became searing from one second to the next. She barely even registered Addison telling her that the baby was crowning, or that she’d just need to push a few more times before her kid was here.

She didn’t know how long it was, or how many more pushes it took, or even how many things around the room she made blow up.

The next thing she felt was the swift release of pressure as a second set of cries joined hers, and the sheer, overwhelming  _ relief  _ that came with the realisation that this was done.

She kept her eyes closed at first, continuing to cling to May as she listened to her baby’s cries, afraid that if she opened her them her baby would disappear, taken away by the same cruel universe that had taken her father.

It wasn’t until a small weight was hesitantly placed against her chest that she found the strength to open her eyes and look down at her kid.

In that instant, the world around her seemed to disappear, reduced to just her and her child.

The little girl was writhing, covered in gunk, and obviously displeased about having been so rudely ejected from her cozy home inside her mother’s body, but she was still the most wonderful sight Daisy’d ever laid eyes on.

Daisy couldn’t help the sob that crawled its way up her throat as she brought her arms up to cradle her daughter. She didn’t understand how the mere sight of this little baby she’d carried within her body for eight months could make her heart feel like it’d been torn to shreds and made whole at the same time.

This kind of overwhelming love seemed impossible.

But it wasn’t, and she was sure her heart would explode with the sheer magnitude of it.

Holy shit. She was a  _ mom. _

-

“What’s her name?”

Daisy smiled, not taking her eyes off her daughter as the little girl slept contently against her chest. “Finley.”

May hummed, the barest hint of a smile coming across her face as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. “Finley… It suits her.” She reached out and stroked a finger over the baby’s hand, marveling at how small it was. “What does it mean?”

Daisy remained silent, pondering whether to answer as she leant down to press a kiss against Finley’s forehead. She’d put a great deal of thought into her baby’s name, and part of her wanted to keep its meaning to herself.

But May was the one who was asking. May who’d taken Daisy under her wing and tried so hard to protect her from the all perils that had ever come their way. May who’d seen Daisy was in trouble and had ditched SHIELD for her without a second thought. May who’d just spent hours sitting on the hard ground, holding her and comforting her. It felt right to tell her.  

“’Fair hero’.” She swallowed, looking up at May and wiping at the tear that slipped from her eye with the hand that wasn’t holding Finley in place. “I—um, i-it’s for Lincoln. I chose it for him. It felt right.”

May smiled softly, watching as Finley yawned and nuzzled further into Daisy’s chest. “It’s perfect. Just like she is.”

Daisy let out a wet laugh and looked down at Finley, running a hand through the wispy hair at the top of the little girl’s head. “Well she does have that whole cone head look going on right now, but she  _ is _ pretty great, isn’t she?”

May couldn’t hold back the snort that broke free at that. “She just got pushed out of your vagina. Of course she’s got a cone head.”

“Oh trust me, I haven’t forgotten that fun little factoid.” Daisy winced, shifting slightly. Even sitting in bed, propped up by a mountain of pillows was dreadfully uncomfortable. “Whoever said birth is a magical experience needs to get punched in the face. Getting to meet Finley was the only magical part of it. It was so gross and I’m so damn sore.”

May rolled her eyes good naturedly. It was a huge relief to see some of the old Daisy coming through, but May knew it wouldn’t last—not if her demeanor a few hours before was anything to go by. This lightness that she suddenly had was likely nothing more than a post-partum hormone high.

And that worried May more than she’d like to admit.

A high meant that there’d be a crash eventually, because even the joy of having a baby couldn’t heal all the hurt and guilt that Daisy’d been carrying around for months.

All May could hope for was that Daisy would let her be there when the time came.

“Hey, May? Do you want to hold her?”

May’s heart skipped a beat at that question. She wanted to hold Finley so badly, more than she wanted anything else in that moment. But the kid was asleep, and babies liked their sleep. Rousing her would only lead to an upset baby.  “I- No, it’s alright. I don’t want to wake her. She needs to rest.”

Daisy grinned. Finley seemed out for the count—save for the occasional shift to curl herself further into Daisy, she’d been unaware of the world for a good thirty minutes. “It’ll be fine. I’m pretty sure she’s too milk drunk to notice… Plus, nursing looked almost as exhausting for her as it was for me so, here—“ She leaned forward with a wince, gently moving Finley from where she was resting against her chest so she could hand her to May. “Take her.”

Swallowing nervously, May reached forward and gently took Finley into her arms, holding her as securely as she could. The little girl grunted at being shifted around, but didn’t wake, simply settling against May with a long yawn. She felt so weightless, like a feather just waiting to be blown away by the wind. “She’s so small.”

Daisy didn’t reply, choosing instead to take in the scene before her, smiling gently as May took a few deep breaths and accommodated Finley into a more comfortable hold.

She was glad May had been with her in the end. She didn’t know if she could’ve managed the delivery without her.

And if Lincoln couldn’t be there… then at least May was.

Because May had always been there for Daisy, in a way very few people ever had. She was the embodiment of everything Daisy had always pictured a family to be—protective, loving and safe. Finley deserved to have that in her life. She deserved the chance to have a family. A family full of people that loved her unconditionally, regardless of biology. A family made up of people that would be there without having to be asked. A family made up of people like May and the rest of their team.

She wasn’t ready to face the rest of the team, though. So for now, having just May was perfect. Especially with the way she was looking at Finley; all tender, warm, protective and distinctly  _ mushy. _ It was ridiculously adorable, and it made Daisy feel like her heart might explode with emotion.

Feeling her eyes fill with tears as she watched May run a finger over Finley’s brow, Daisy cleared her throat. Might as well drop another surprise now. “Her full name is Finley Qiaolian Campbell-Johnson, by the way.”

For a brief second May froze, the finger stroking over Finley’s brow stilling in shock, before she looked up at Daisy. “Daisy, you don’t—“

“No,” Daisy interrupted, dropping her gaze down to Finley. “I know what you’re going to say. You’re going to say that I don’t need to do that. That you’ve done nothing to deserve having someone so innocent named after you. And you’re right, I don’t  _ have _ to name my daughter after you. But I  _ want _ to, because you  _ do _ deserve it.”

“Daisy—“

Daisy shook her head, silencing her once more and lifting her eyes to meet May’s. “May, you— I don’t think you understand how much you mean to me. For so long all I wanted was a family, and then you and Coulson showed up and gave me one without asking for anything in return. Even Jiaying and Cal— they never—“ She paused, taking a deep breath to compose herself. Thinking of her biological parents brought up emotions she didn’t want tainting this moment. “ _ You  _ have always been the one that took care of me, May, even when you didn’t even trust me. I’d never had that before. And that— it’s always meant the world to me.” She reached forward to grip May’s hand in her own, and smiled tearily. “So yeah, I want to name my daughter after you. Because of how important you are to me. And because you’re caring, and badass, and strong, and  _ warm _ — _ that’s _ everything I hope my daughter grows up to be.”

May felt frozen, like her brain had just disconnected from her body as it tried to process the overwhelming wave of emotion that had hit her at Daisy’s words. All she could do was blink rapidly to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes from falling. She knew had to say  _ something _ , but she didn’t know how she could ever communicate how much this meant to her. Not when she’d never even been able to properly articulate how much she’d grown to love Daisy over the years.

She suspected she’d never have the words to describe how much Daisy and Finley meant to her.

So she squeezed Daisy’s hand tightly, hoping she could convey her love through the contact as she lowered her gaze to Finley’s peaceful face. “Daisy, I— Thank you.” She took an audibly shaky breath and sniffled, before meeting Daisy’s eyes again. “It means a lot.”

Daisy just smiled brightly at her, leaning back so she could rest against the pillows again. May didn’t have to say much for Daisy to understand how she felt in that moment. For as much as May usually managed to hide her emotions, her countenance told Daisy everything she needed to know in that moment. It didn’t just mean a lot, it meant the world.

And it was obvious that May already loved Finley fiercely. Much like Daisy’d always imagined a grandmother would love her granddaughter.

May narrowed her eyes at Daisy, noting how her bright smile morphed into the same goofy grin that Coulson got when he had something up his sleeve. Somehow she just  _ knew  _ where this was going.  “Kid better not call me grandma.”

Daisy giggled, scrunching her nose and humming. “ I was thinking more along the lines of lao lao, but I get it if you don’t want that…”

Emotion swelled in May’s throat again. Daisy had never learned Mandarin. May had never had the time to teach her. The fact that she knew what maternal grandmothers were called... It somehow meant just as much as naming Finley after her. It meant that she’d  _ wanted _ May to play a big role in Finley’s life despite having run off all those months before.

But, as much as that realization made her heart swell, she knew that the kid deserved better than to have her has a honorary grandmother. She wasn’t about to tell Daisy that right now, she didn’t want Daisy to think it was because of something she’d done. So she just settled for the warmest smile she could muster.

“We’ll find something that doesn’t make me feel ancient.” She looked down at Finley, smiling gently as the baby unconsciously snuggled further into her arms. Lifting Finley slightly, she leant down and pressed a kiss to the little tuft of hair at the top of her head. “ Wǒ huì yīzhí péizhe nǐ.”  _ I’ll always be with you.  _ A promise she’d keep as long as she lived. “You should probably take her.”

Daisy extended her arms to take Finley immediately, gently gathering her from May’s arms and settling the baby so her head was nestled against Daisy’s sternum. She had ached to hold her daughter the whole time she’d been out of her arms. But she knew May deserved the opportunity to hold Finley, so she’d resisted the urge to take her back before May was ready and she was glad she had. It had been ridiculously rewarding to watch May bond with her little girl.

Breathing in Finley’s scent, she thought about what May had said to Finley in Mandarin. Now that Finley was back in her arms, her curiosity was making itself known at the forefront of her mind. “What did you say to her, by the way?”

The corners of May’s lips lifted, a sly smile appearing on her face. “That’s between me and my granddaughter, Agent Johnson.”

Daisy scoffed in mock offense, running a hand over Finley’s back. “Now that’s just rude.”

May snorted, only to immediately sober up as Daisy attempted to cover up a yawn. “You should get some rest before she wakes up and wants to eat again.” It had been a long day, for all three of them, but for Daisy especially. The exhaustion was written all over her face despite her happy demeanor.

Daisy nodded, letting her body sink further into the pillows, keeping an arm wrapped around Finley to keep her steady. “I just don’t want to miss a minute, you know?”

May nodded absently. Seeing Daisy’s energy begin to fade had reminded her of how long it’d been since she’d found Daisy in that alley. Her disappearance would likely have Phil worried out of his mind by now. She needed to let him know she was alright. “I should call Coulson.”

Daisy’s eyes widened, a distinctly panicked look crossing her face. “May—“

“I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.” May interrupted, raising a placating hand. “I don’t have to tell him about you, I just have to let him know I’m alive.” Daisy visibly deflated with relief, nodding at May’s words. It broke May’s heart to see how afraid Daisy was of facing the team. “He’d appreciate knowing you’re safe. He’s been worried about you. All he wants is for you to be safe.”

Daisy sniffled, curling herself around Finley and avoiding May’s eyes as her own filled with tears. She so wanted to see Coulson, to talk to him, to give him a hug. But she was scared that he’d be upset with her, for leaving them and becoming a vigilante, and for doing so while pregnant. “He’s going to be so disappointed in me.”

May sighed and put a hand on Daisy’s thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze. “He’ll never be disappointed in you, Daisy. He might be hurt that you didn’t come to us for help when you found out you were pregnant, but he’ll relieved to know you’re safe.” She paused, taking in Daisy’s expression as the girl continued to avoid her eyes. It was obvious that she desperately wanted to see Coulson, but that she was terrified that he wouldn’t react well. “I don’t have to tell him where we are, or what happened. I can just tell him that you’re with me and need time before seeing him. He’ll respect that.”

Daisy let out a sob and shook her head. “No, I—” Scared as she was, he was still the closest she’d ever had to a father. He’d been the first person to ever give Daisy a chance and he’d never once wavered in his belief in her. He deserved to meet Finley, and Finley deserved to have him in her life. “T-tell him where we are and that he can come. Just— don’t tell him about Finley, okay? I know he’ll figure it out when he gets here but I—I need to be the one to tell him.”

“Okay.” May cupped Daisy’s cheek, forcing the girl’s teary gaze to meet her own. “He’s going to be proud of how strong you’ve been. And he might even cry a little when he meets Finley.” She paused, feeling victorious as a small, cautious smile appeared on Daisy’s face. “Now—Sleep. You need to rest. You can worry about everything in a few hours when Finley wakes you up.”

Daisy nodded uncertainly, apprehension clear on her face. “You’ll stay?” She felt childish asking that, but after being so alone for so long the mere idea of waking up to find May gone filled her with anxiety.

“I’m not going anywhere.” May gave her a reassuring smile, standing from the edge of the bed so Daisy could get comfortable.

Daisy nodded, content with May’s answer, and settled further into the bed, adjusting her hold on Finley and placing a nursing pillow beneath the arm supporting her so she’d be secure while Daisy slept. Part of her didn’t want to close her eyes, afraid that she’d miss even the smallest detail of Finley’s life, but she was absolutely  _ exhausted _ . The prospect of closing her eyes and taking a nap with her baby seemed heavenly.

She leaned down to press a kiss against the top of Finley’s head, quietly whispering “ _ I love you” _ and breathing in the little girl’s scent. It seemed impossible to love someone as much as she loved Finley, but it felt  _ so  _ right. She felt more content, more at peace now than she’d felt in months.

So she took a deep breath and let her eyes to close, her mind wandering to the future she’d hardly allowed herself to think about during her pregnancy—a future with Finley, a future that suddenly felt so very real. A future that suddenly felt like a light at the end of the tunnel.

Finley’s first smile. Her first laugh. Her first steps. Her first birthday.  _ That _ was the future that was waiting for her now.

Maybe this was where she was meant to be after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> been working on this one for a looong time now, it's near and dear to my heart to say the least. 
> 
> drop by the comments and let me know what you thought! i guarantee you'll make my day :)


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